The Burns Harbor
Redevelopment Commission observed a moment of silence in recognition of the
anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks before hearing an update on the
Westport Site Development at its meeting Wednesday.
Holladay
Properties, the master developer guiding the creation of the Westport
Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a new Burns Harbor Town Center on the
32-acres across Ind. 149 from the Town Hall, recommended approval of three
professional services contracts in accordance with its timeline for
completing the Westport PUD.
Holladay Project
Manager A.J. Monroe said it’s Holladay’s recommendation that the Board go
with Smith Group for planning and landscape architectural services for
$98,500, Tracy Cross & Associates for a market study for $19,500, and
Abonmarche for civil engineering for $178,000. The three contracts total
approximately $293,000.
The contracted work
will be task-driven, with Monroe as the point of contact if the companies
have questions, and final approval for tasks resting with either the whole
RDC or, if a decision has to be made between meetings, just the Board
president.
Monroe said the
next two months will be quite busy, with the project team hosting a workshop
for stakeholder input on the development plan. By Nov. 12, Smith Group will
have completed its first two tasks, which include creating a preferred plan
for the development, Abonmarche will have completed its first two tasks
related to visioning, and the Tracy Cross market study will be complete.
The Board approved
all three contracts unanimously.
In related
business, the Board approved a contract for $6,600 for SEH of Indiana to
conduct a phase 1 environmental assessment on the Westport site. Such a
study has to be done before the Town can release the land for someone to
use, RDC President Eric Hull said.
Duneland School
Contribution
Duneland School
Board representative Ron Stone gave the Board a handout showing how the
Board’s contribution to Duneland Schools was spent this past school year.
The Burns Harbor RDC contributes approximately $100,000 to Duneland Schools
each year to make up for tax revenue the School district doesn’t capture in
Burns Harbor’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts.
Duneland Schools
has recently spent RDC contributions as follows: $18,000 on Project Lead the
Way, $15,000 on the Leader in Me program at Bailly Elementary, $15,000 on
the Leader in Me program at Liberty Intermediate, $7,800 on a program at the
Challenger Learning Center, and $975 on robotics activities at the
intermediate schools.
“Be there, or be
square”
Board member Toni
Biancardi made a reminder the last Food Truck Square event of the year is
next Wednesday, Sept. 18. and will feature Touch-A-Truck activities and a
corn hole tournament. Hull said: “Be there, or be square.”
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